Op-Ed: Rep. Bob Goodlatte: Seed oil farmers are not the enemy — they are essential to American agriculture, health, and our economy

The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement is justifiably focused on improving our nation’s health. However, in their pursuit of a healthier America, some in this movement are misguided in singling out seed oils. Seed oils are extracted from the seeds of plants. These oils such as soybean, safflower, and grapeseed are commonly used in restaurants and cooking in homes across the country. Attempts to demonize and ban seed oils are the wrong approach — one that not only ignores the health evidence but also would hurt the livelihoods of American farmers and the pocketbooks of hard-working families.

As the former Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, I saw firsthand how much President Donald J. Trump cares about America’s farmers. As President Trump said during his joint address to Congress, “I love the farmer.” During his first term, President Trump was an unapologetic champion for agriculture, providing more than $30 billion in direct support when countries retaliated against our farmers, negotiating strong trade deals to make sure foreign countries treat them fairly, eliminating $262 million in burdensome regulations, and reducing the death tax that crippled many family farms. At the end of President Trump’s first term, farm income reached the highest level in years after bottoming out during the Obama administration.

American agriculture is the backbone of our economy and seed oils are a critical part of the agriculture industry. It has an economic impact of hundreds of billions of dollars annually and supports millions of jobs up and down the ag and food supply chain, particularly in rural America. While many of the alternatives to seed oils must be imported from other countries, the United States is a net exporter of seed oils to the world. As President Trump rightly confronts America’s unacceptable trade deficit, seed oils are an asset for our country.

As a result of failed policies of former President Joe Biden, Americans are still struggling to afford their rising grocery bills. Despite the headwinds of the last four years against them, our farmers work hard every single day to feed Americans more affordably. Seed oils are critical for delivering more affordable grocery prices because they are five to ten times more affordable than available alternatives.

Importantly, a key contribution from a majority of seed oils is protein, which is a feed ingredient for our domestic livestock industry, making our pork and chicken more affordable. When American workers process oilseeds like soybeans, canola, and sunflower for their oil, the remaining protein-rich meal is used as animal feed, which is essential for their nutrition. This helps support meat growth and production, which ultimately stabilizes meat prices for consumers and American families already struggling with inflation.

Yet, some in the MAHA movement advocate for banning seed oils, pushing for costly and impractical alternatives. What they fail to recognize is that these alternatives face severe supply constraints. Food security is not just important for our economy. It is important for our national security. Banning seed oils would create massive supply chain disruptions and would create instability here at home and abroad.

Banning seed oils would also not make America healthier. These oils, including soybean and canola oils, provide essential polyunsaturated fats like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which play a crucial role in heart health. The alternatives being championed contain significantly higher levels of saturated fats — compounds long linked to heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. The unintended consequence of banning seed oils would be an increase in heart-related health issues, undermining the very goal MAHA seeks to achieve.

No food should be above legitimate scrutiny. However, as we work toward making America healthier, we must base our policies on facts, science and economics. We can and should work to improve public health without unfairly devastating and demonizing an industry that is a bedrock of American farming. The MAHA movement’s energy is admirable, but its fight against seed oils is misplaced. Let’s support our farmers, protect jobs, and ensure a stable food supply — while making informed decisions about our health.

Bob Goodlatte is a former Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee